MediaReleases

Media Releases

SPH and IMDA renew partnership to produce and distribute short form digital videos for a second year

Singapore, 6 March 2018 - Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) will release a new slate of digital videos in partnership with the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), as part of IMDA’s Public Service Broadcast (PSB) initiative.

The second season of SPH’s PSB digital content will run from May 2018 to April 2019 across SPH’s multimedia platforms. More than 120 short-form original videos will be released across 16 programme titles in English and Mandarin, covering infotainment, info-ed and children’s programmes.

This follows a successful Season One, which saw the release of 118 short-form videos, all exceeding their viewership targets. A number of English programmes like 'Living City' and 'Heroes Among Us', as well as Chinese programmes like 'Live Your Dream' and 'The Newsmaker', have "gone viral" on social media with more than a million views each, and very active audience engagement. 'The Newsmaker' was also selected by the Programme Advisory Committee for Chinese Programmes as one of the top 10 Mandarin programmes broadcast between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017.

Each episode will span 3 to 10 minutes in length and will be made available to audiences across SPH’s digital content network, such as Straits Times Online, Business Times Online, STIRR, AsiaOne, STOMP, The New Paper and ZB Schools, as well as the Facebook pages of The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, The Business Times, AsiaOne, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min, ZB Lifestyle, ZBComma and Thumbs Up.

New this season will be two bilingual programmes targeted at children. Through the eyes of a young reporter (aged 10-12 years) in each episode of ‘Finding The Red Dot’, children will learn about the history, legends and stories of Singapore. “Past Present Future” aims to educate kids of today with older forms of technology and how they have advanced in present day, as well as imagine how they may continue to evolve in the future.

Mr Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), said: “We are heartened by the positive response to the pilot slate of online info-series produced by SPH. IMDA is excited to continue the partnership with SPH to bring more public service content to inform and entertain local audiences. We hope that through this collaboration, more Singaporean audiences will continue to support and appreciate our local content and stories.”

The first video series to launch will be the second season of ‘Heroes Among Us’. The show, returning in May, features Singaporeans who help the community here or in the region, or who have overcome challenges in their life and made good. Through the profiles, viewers can get a glimpse of the different communities here and in the region that need help. They can also witness the different adversities that people have to overcome, sometimes taking an almost superhuman effort to do so.

Meanwhile, after a successful Season One, host Ken Low Yong Kian returns to front the Part Two series of ‘Live Your Dream’ (完成一个梦第2季) in June. In each episode, Ken will continue to fulfil the dreams of people from all walks of life. This well-received programme promises to bring viewers more tears and laughter as their dreams are realised.

SPH's core business is publishing of newspapers, magazines and books in both print and digital editions. It also owns other digital products, online classifieds, radio stations and outdoor media.

On the property front, SPH owns 70% in a real estate investment trust called SPH REIT which comprises Paragon, a premier upscale retail mall and medical suite/office property in Orchard Road and The Clementi Mall, a mid-market suburban mall. SPH also owns and operates The Seletar Mall. It is developing a new commercial cum residential site at Woodleigh Road. It also has a stake in Chinatown Point.

It is in the aged care sector and owns Orange Valley, Singapore’s largest private nursing home operator.

SPH runs a regional events arm and a chain of Buzz retail outlets. It also invested in the education business.